7 Strategies to Healthy eating for less money!

-Make a list of what you need.
-Do not go grocery shopping hungry.
-Buy only what is on your list and then
leave.

Strategy One:

Stop buying Junk: All processed foods, sugary sodas, snacks, white breads, and desserts etc. These items are expensive and create inflammation in the body which will eventually lead to health issues.

The key is to buy whole foods. Unprocessed foods are cheaper and more nutritious than processed foods. They also give you total control over the ingredients. Most anything that comes in a box should be avoided as it is likely processed.

Strategy Two:

Stop making meat the central focus of every meal. A couple of days a week look to beans, lentils, chick-peas, and eggs as the central high protein theme. These are generally inexpensive and considered super foods.

Other protein examples are: Lean ground turkey, frozen chicken breast, canned tuna, liver, cottage cheese, plain yogurt.

Strategy Three:

Chicken is the way to go for high quality protein and is often a bargain compared to other proteins. To save even more money, buy your chicken whole and then separate the chicken parts for future meals. Remember too, that chicken liver is very healthy and inexpensive.

Strategy Four:

Rethink canned tuna. Fresh and frozen fish is often expensive. Tuna in a can is a wonderful alternative to create meals with. Make sure to rinse water-packed tuna. Remember to also ask your fish monger what the 'catch of the day' is as these tend to be less expensive than the other cuts.

Strategy Five:

Remember fruits and vegetables! Frozen fruits and veggies are often half the price of fresh. Frozen foods have an exceptionally long shelf life when kept in freezer. Also, you can buy frozen fruits and veggies in bulk to get more of a discount. Fruits and veggies are expensive out of season, but frozen choices are nutrient dense and most are considered super foods. For example, frozen peas and carrots clearly can be just as healthy, if not more healthy than the fresh produce that has hung around in the supermarket food distribution chains for a week. Why? Because they are flash frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables also save time as they are prepared for use. You can also purchase fresh in-season fruits and veggies and then freeze them.

Strategy Six:

Buy Bulk. It is always a good idea to buy non-perishable items, such as dried beans, grains, and canned foods, in bulk.

Strategy Seven:

Buy Generic Food. Buy the store brands to eat healthier on the cheap. Choose raw foods like brown rice, whole grain pasta, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, frozen fruits and veggies. This will save you money on packaging & advertising.
James F. Mitchell
562-253-3502